Pool timer

ABSTRACT

A swimming pool or spa pump control system to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to the recirculating pump that could result from specific operating conditions and to optimize energy consumption by varying the run time of the recirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun&#39;s energy impacting the earth&#39;s surface as a measure of solar radiation incident on the surface of the pool water or solar heat energy incident on the pool water comprising a controller including a microcontroller to calculate the pump run time for a geographically specific location dependent upon the time of year or date based upon the solar radiation or heat energy adjusted for specific swimming pool or spa site, and a plurality of sensors to monitor various operating conditions coupled to the controller to deactivate the recirculating pump when any one of the operating conditions exceeds a predetermined or set value.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

A swimming pool pump or spa recirculating control system to control theoperation of a recirculating pump.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various efforts have been undertaken to design a pool water pump controlto protect the operation of a circulating pump as well as improve energyefficiency by controlling the pump run time. Examples of the prior artand disclosures are shown below.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,938 teaches an electronic pool pump timer to controlthe run time of a pump for a period of time each day depending on thedate. In the preferred embodiment, the user enters the historical dailymaximum and minimum pump run times for the specific pool to calculatethe required time the pump will run on a given day. The run time iscalculated as a function of the date and the minimum and maximum runtimes for a given pool. The system then self-adjusts the run time eachday as necessary. The device comprises a data input means, a display,memory, and a controller. To prevent the pool from freezing, the systemmay also include an air temperature sensor that activates the pumpoperation when the ambient air is below a predetermined temperature.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,950 discloses a control system for a swimming poolor a spa recirculating system that draws water from a pool or spathrough a pump and filter and back to the pool. A controller is operatedto initiate operation of the pump at pre-established time intervals. Thelength of time or duty cycle that the pump is operated at each of thesetime intervals is determined by a temperature sensor which senses thewater temperature. The temperature sensor supplies a signal to thecontroller to cause the pump to be operated for a longer period of timewhen the water temperature is above a threshold temperature and to beoperated for a shorter period of time when the water temperature isbelow the predetermined threshold.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,196 shows an electronic timer used for producingcommand signals to initiate and discontinue the operation of externaldevices such as pool pumps, lights, and the like. The timer includes acommon bus to which there are applied a plurality of parallel pulsesignals that in combination define a timing interval divided into asequence of time slots. A plurality of independently operable decodersare connected to the common bus so that all the decoders continuouslymonitor the parallel pulse signals. Preferably, the plurality ofparallel pulse signals are generated in a control center module andapplied to the common bus which propagates the signal to one or moreother modules each of which contains at least a pair of theindependently operable decoders. Each such decoder includes gatingcircuitry operable to produce a command signal and further includes amanually adjustable input for completing a plurality of signal flowpaths from the common bus to the gating circuitry to cause the gatingcircuitry to produce the output command signal during a selected one ofthe time slots.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,543 teaches a pump shut off system for shutting offa pump when there is insufficient fluid to pump. A processor iselectrically connected to a timer to deactivate the pump after apredetermined period of time. The processor also includes a flow sensorto deactivate the timer to prevent the timer from measuring thepredetermined amount of time when the flow switch is activated by theflow sensor when the flow sensor detects fluid flow through the outletconduit above the predetermined amount during the predetermined amountof time.

US 2004/0000525 relates to a system and method for reducing the energyconsumption of a swimming pool cleaning system operating for a firstpredetermined time period. A programmable controller activates anactuator which causes a diverter valve or in-line valve to isolate andselectively operate a suction vacuum for a second predetermined timeperiod. Isolating and selectively operating the suction vacuum from theskimmer allows the centrifugal pump to be driven by a motor in low speedmode to be used all of the time for skimming and cleaning operations,thereby greatly reducing energy consumption.

US 2009/0151801 teaches a method of operating a controller for a poolpump motor comprising the steps of setting an operating mode for thepool pump motor, setting a torque value for the pool pump motorcorresponding to the operating mode, setting a high operating thresholdand a low operating threshold corresponding to the torque value,operating the pool pump motor in a constant torque mode using the torquevalue, monitoring an operating parameter of the pool pump motorcorresponding to a load on the pool pump motor, discontinuing operatingthe pool pump motor when the operating parameter is higher than the highoperating threshold or lower than the low operating threshold andsignaling a pool pump motor fault upon the discontinuing operating thepool pump motor.

US 2009/0211986 relates to a system for load control in an electricalpower system including one or more temperature-monitoring devices tocontrol operation of a pool pump. When ambient temperatures arerelatively high and electrical power demands from air conditioningsystems are relatively high, the temperature-monitoring devices canremove power from the controlled device during the hotter portions ofthe day and provide power to the controlled devices during the coolerportions of the day. During heat waves or other periods of relativelycontinuous high heat, the temperature-monitoring devices can schedulepower to the controlled devices to reduce overall power demands and torun the controlled devices during the cooler portions of the day whenair conditioning electrical loads are reduced. Thetemperature-monitoring devices can also coordinate operation of the poolpump and a pool heater.

US 2009/0290990 discloses a pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid systemcomprising pump having an inlet coupled to the drain and an outletcoupled to the return. The pump receives fluid from the drain and jetfluid through the return. The apparatus includes a motor coupled to thepump to operate the pump, a sensor configured to generate a signalhaving a relation to a parameter of the motor, and a switch coupled tothe motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of themotor. The apparatus also comprises a microcontroller coupled to thesensor and the switch including a model observer configured to receive afirst value based on the signal and to generate a second valuerepresentative of at least one of a modeled flow or a modeled pressurebased on the first value. The microcontroller is configured to controlthe motor based on the second value.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,605 shows a load state detecting apparatus of aninduction motor having two coils having a drive voltage supplying unitfor supplying a drive voltage to the coils in the induction motor, aphase difference detecting unit for detecting a phase difference betweenthe drive voltage supplied across the coils of the induction motor and acurrent flowing through one of the coils upon application of the drivevoltage and for generating a phase difference signal, and a load statedetecting unit for comparing the phase difference signal generated bythe phase difference detecting unit with a predetermined reference valueand generating a signal depending on a load state of the inductionmotor.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,718 discloses a motor power control of the typewhich functions by controlling the power factor wherein one of theparameters of power factor current “on” time is determined by the “on”time of a triac through which current is supplied to the motor, andwherein, by means of a positive feedback circuit, a wider range ofcontrol is effected.

Additional examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. No.6,676,837, U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,677 and US 2004/0070357.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a swimming pool or spa pump controlsystem to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump inresponse to at least one of a plurality of operating or environsconditions such as pump run time, solar radiation, water temperature asa function of solar heat energy and water line pressure to optimizewater quality in the swimming pool or spa and protect the recirculatingpump for damage.

The control system comprises a controller operatively coupled to thepump motor and a plurality operating status or condition sensors tocontrol the operation of the pump.

The operation of the pump motor is controlled to protect therecirculating pump from damage possible due to several operatingconditions. Specifically, a liquid pressure sensor senses the fluidpressure passing through the debris filter and to generate a pressuresignal fed to the controller. If the debris filter becomes clogged, theliquid pressure sensed reaches a minimum predetermined value causing thecontroller to generate a fault signal sent to the pump motor todeactivate or shut down the pump.

If the water drawn from the swimming pool through the return conduitreaches a minimum predetermined volume or amount due to a leak orsimilar condition, a liquid sensor causes the controller to generate afault signal sent to the pump motor of the pump to deactivate or shutdown the pump.

As previously mentioned, to maximize efficiency and maintain optimalwater quality, the run time curve should account for pool watertemperature, sunlight or solar radiation, as this has a particularlydeleterious effect on water quality in that the chlorine breaks down,environmental debris, type and amount of bacteria and algae, surfaceleaching, and water chemical composition as major factors.

Efficiency can generally be optimized when run time curve approximatesthe solar radiation curve or the air temperature curve which issubstantially a function of the date and locale. Thus, the run timeshould be adjusted periodically with respect to date and time.

Initially, the swimming pool or spa pump control system is set up byimputting the annual solar radiation or air temperature of theparticular locale or the swimming pool or spa.

The initial operating run time of the pump start-up is calculated forthe specific pump rating and calculated solar radiation or airtemperature for times and dates to control the operation of the pump.

Once the swimming pool or spa control system is up and running, theowner/user will observe the water quality over time. Since each pool/spasite will likely vary from the “standard” site upon which the particularpump is rated, the run time should most likely be adjusted for optimumwater quality. This variation is due to trees, screens and otherobstructions to the solar radiation impinging the surface of the pool orspa water. Thus, the owner/user will adjust or recalculate the initialoperating run time by a factor within a predetermined range.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the swimming pool or spa recirculatingcontrol system of the present invention and a swimming pool including arecirculating system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the swimming pool or spa recirculatingcontrol system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a chart depicting annual radiation impinging the earth'ssurface for a geographically specific latitude and longitude.

FIG. 4 is a chart depicting the annual pool water temperature for ageographically specific locale.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a swimming pool or spa pump controlsystem to selectively control the operation of a recirculating pump inresponse to at least one of a plurality of operating or environsconditions such as pump run time, solar radiation, water temperature asa function of solar heat energy and water line pressure to optimizewater quality in the swimming pool or spa and protect the recirculatingpump for damage.

A number of factors affect the quality of water in a swimming pool orspa such as solar radiation, air temperature, presence of sun screen inthe pool water, sunlight, presence of bacteria and algae, surfaceleaching and water treatment chemicals. Of course, air temperature andsolar radiation are largely dependent on the time of year and geographiclocale of the swimming pool or spa. Thus, matching or correlating theair temperature or solar radiation for the particular time of year andlocale with the run time of the recirculating pump can optimize theenergy use of the recirculating pump while maintaining a high level ofwater quality.

In addition, the recirculating pump is subject to damage if the debrisfilter overly restricts water flow through the recirculating pump or ifthere is otherwise insufficient flow of water through the recirculatingpump during a freeze or the recirculating system is dry due to a leak inthe system. Thus, there is a need to monitor and detect the operatingparameters of the recirculating system.

FIG. 1 depicts a typical swimming pool 10 and recirculating systemcomprising a pump 12 including pump motor 14 coupled to the swimmingpool 10 by a pump inlet conduit 16 and a debris filter 18 coupledbetween the pump 12 and the swimming pool 10 by a pump outlet conduit 20and a return conduit 22 to filter and recirculate water to and from theswimming pool 10.

The recirculating pump control system comprises a controller 24operatively coupled to the pump motor 14 and a first, second, third andfourth operating status or condition sensor indicated as 26, 28, 30 and32 respectively through a corresponding control line or conductor 34 tocontrol the operation of the pump 12 as described hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 24 comprises a microcontroller 36including a processor, memory and timing means, an input device 38 suchas a keypad or multiple button star cluster coupled to themicrocontroller 36 to enable a user to enter data such as time, date,location by area code or by latitude and longitude with measured orcalculated solar energy data and pump turn-on time and an output device40 such as an LED display coupled to microcontroller 36 to displayinformation to the user. The processor and timing means may comprise anysuitable state of the art device. The memory may be any suitable memoryknown in the art such as a ROM or Flash. The controller 24 is coupled tothe pump motor 14 and the operating status or condition sensors 26, 28,30 and 32 through the corresponding control lines or conductors 34 toactivate and deactivate the pump motor 14 as described hereinafter. Thecontroller 24 is coupled to a power source (not shown) by plug orconnector 42. Although the swimming pool or spa pump control system isdepicted as hardwired, the state of the art will permit a wirelesssystem without impacting the functions or interrelationships of thesystem components.

The operation of the pump motor 14 is controlled to protect therecirculating pump 12 from damage possible due to several operatingconditions. Specifically, a liquid pressure sensor 26 is disposeddownstream; i.e., between the outlet of the debris filter 18 and theswimming pool 10 to sense the fluid pressure passing through the debrisfilter 18 and to generate a pressure signal fed to the microcontroller36 of the controller 24 over the corresponding control line 34. If thedebris filter 18 becomes clogged, the liquid pressure sensed in thereturn conduit 22 by the first sensor 26 reaches a minimum predeterminedvalue causing the microcontroller 36 of the controller 24 to generate afault signal sent to the pump motor 14 of the pump 12 to deactivate orshut down the pump 12.

If the water drawn from the swimming pool 10 through the return conduit16 reaches a minimum predetermined volume or amount due to a leak orsimilar condition, the second or liquid sensor 28 causes themicrocontroller 36 of the controller 24 to generate a fault signal sentto the pump motor 14 of the pump 12 to deactivate or shut down the pump12.

The third or pump load sensor 30 is capable of determining statorposition or alternately, the current phase of the pump motor 14. Acomparison of the current phase angle or stator crossing the load on thepump motor 14 indicates no flow condition or filter clog or absence ofwater circulating from the swimming pool 10. The microcontroller 36 ofthe controller 24 generates a fault signal fed to the pump motor 14 whencurrent phase angle exceeds a predetermined value or alternatively whenthe stator crossing exceeds a predetermined value to deactivate or shutdown the pump 12. (See Current Phase Angle U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,695; UseOf Voltage/Current Sensor To Determine Stator Crossing U.S. Pat. No.4,439,718).

The fourth or temperature sensor 32 measures the water temperature inthe conduit 16 between the swimming pool 10 and the pump 12. When thewater in the conduit 16 reaches a predetermined minimum temperature suchas 35° F., the microcontroller 36 of the controller 24 generates an ‘ON’signal fed to the pump motor 14 to circulate water through the system toprevent freezing.

As previously mentioned, to maximize efficiency and maintain optimalwater quality, the run time curve should account for pool watertemperature, sunlight or solar radiation, as this has a particularlydeleterious effect on water quality in that the chlorine breaks down,environmental debris, type and amount of bacteria and algae, surfaceleaching, and water chemical composition as major factors.

Efficiency can generally be optimized when run time curve approximatesthe solar radiation curve (FIG. 3) or the air temperature curve (FIG. 4)which is substantially a function of the date and locale. Thus, the runtime should be adjusted periodically with respect to date and time.

Initially, the swimming pool or spa pump control system is set up byimputting the annual solar radiation of the particular locale or theswimming pool or spa 10 as depicted in FIG. 3 into the memory of themicrocontroller 36 of the controller 24 by the imput device 38 or otherloading device. The annual solar radiation is calculated on NOAD'sfunctions and clear-sky solar radiation based upon Bird and Hulstrom'smodel, Bras' model or Ryan and Stotzenbach's model.

The initial operating run time of the pump 12 start-up is calculated forthe specific pump 12 rating and calculated solar radiation for times anddates. A runtime curve similar to the solar radiation curve of FIG. 3 iscreated (calculated) to control the operation of the pump 12.

Once the swimming pool or spa control system is up and running, theowner/user will observe the water quality over time. Since each pool/spasite will likely vary from the “standard” site upon which the particularpump is rated, the run time should most likely be adjusted for optimumwater quality. This variation is due to trees, screens and otherobstructions to the solar radiation impinging the surface of the pool orspa water. Thus, the owner/user will adjust or recalculate the initialoperating run time by a factor within a predetermined range such as from0.4 to 2.0. For example, if the swimming pool or spa 10 is heavilyshaded, the owner/user would select and input a factor of 0.4 or 0.2;while, if the swimming pool or spa 10 has no shade or screen enclosure,a factor of 1.5 or 1.8 may be selected and input.

Alternatively, the initial operating run time of the pump 12 start-up iscalculated for the specific pump 12 rating and the historical airtemperatures for times and dates. A runtime curve similar to the solarradiation curve of FIG. 4 is created (calculated) to control theoperation of the pump 12.

As with the solar radiation embodiment, once the swimming pool or spacontrol system is up and running, the owner/user will observe the waterquality over time. Since each pool/spa site will likely vary from the“standard” site upon which the particular pump is rated, the run timeshould most likely be adjusted for optimum water quality. This variationis due to trees, screens and other obstructions to the solar radiationimpinging the surface of the pool or spa water. Thus, the owner/userwill adjust or recalculate the initial operating run time by a factorwithin a predetermined range such as from 0.4 to 2.0. For example, ifthe swimming pool or spa 10 is heavily shaded, the owner/user wouldselect and input a factor of 0.3 or 0.1; while, if the swimming pool orspa 10 has no shade or screen enclosure, a factor of 1.1 or 1.6 may beselected and input.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained andsince certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described,

1. A pump control system for a swimming pool to selectively control theoperation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to the recirculatingpump that could result from specific operating conditions and tooptimize energy consumption by varying the run time of saidrecirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun's energyimpacting the earth's surface as a measure of solar radiation incidenton the surface of the pool water comprising a controller including amicrocontroller to calculate said pump run time for a geographicallyspecific location dependent upon the time of year or date based upon thesolar radiation adjusted for specific swimming pool site, and at leaseone sensor to monitor an operating condition coupled to said controllerto deactivate said recirculating pump when the operating conditionreaches a predetermined or set value.
 2. The pump control system ofclaim 1 wherein said recirculating pump includes a pump motor coupled tothe swimming pool by a pump inlet conduit and a debris filter coupledbetween said recirculating pump and the swimming pool by a pump outletconduit and a return conduit to filter and recirculate water to and fromthe swimming pool, said controller operatively coupled to said pumpmotor and to said sensor to selectively deactivate said pump motor whenthe operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value.
 3. Thepump control system of claim 2 wherein said controller comprises amicrocontroller including a processor, memory and timing means and aninput device coupled to said microcontroller to enable a user to entertime, date, location by area code or by latitude and longitude withmeasured or calculated solar energy data and pump turn-on time and anoutput device to display information to the user.
 4. The pump controlsystem of claim 3 wherein the initial operating run time of said pump iscalculated for the specific pump rating and site specific solarradiation for times and dates to control the initial run cycle of saidpump.
 5. The pump control system of claim 4 wherein the run cycle ofsaid pump is adjusted for optimum water quality due to variation treecover, screen and other obstructions to the solar radiation impingingthe surface of the pool as a factor of the specific pump rating basedupon observable water quality.
 6. The pump control system of claim 2wherein said pump motor is controlled to protect said recirculating pumpfrom damage due to loss in water pressure, said sensor comprising aliquid pressure sensor disposed between the outlet of a debris filterand the swimming pool to sense the water pressure passing through thedebris filter and to generate a pressure signal fed to saidmicrocontroller such that if the debris filter becomes clogged, theliquid pressure sensed in the return conduit by said liquid pressuresensor reaches a minimum predetermined value said microcontrollergenerates a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shutdown said pump.
 7. The pump control system of claim 6 further includinga water sensor such that when water drawn from the swimming pool throughsaid return conduit reaches a minimum predetermined volume or amountsaid liquid sensor causes said microcontroller to generate a faultsignal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down said pump. 8.The pump control system of claim 7 further including a pump load sensorto sense the stator position of said pump motor to measure the statorcrossing to indicate an absence of water circulating from the swimmingpool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signal fed to saidpump motor when stator crossing reaches a predetermined value todeactivate or shut down said pump.
 9. The pump control system of claim 8further including a temperature sensor to sense the water temperaturebetween the swimming pool and said pump and generate a signal when thewater reaches a predetermined minimum temperature fed to saidmicrocontroller to generate an activate signal fed to said pump motor tocirculate water through said pump control system to prevent freezing.10. The pump control system of claim 7 further includes a pump loadsensor to sense the current phase of said pump motor to measure thecurrent phase angle to indicate an absence of water circulating from theswimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signalfed to said pump motor when current phase angle reaches a predeterminedvalue to deactivate or shut down said pump.
 11. The pump control systemof claim 10 further including a temperature sensor to sense the watertemperature between the swimming pool and said pump and generate asignal when the water reaches a predetermined minimum temperature fed tosaid microcontroller to generate an activate signal fed to said pumpmotor to circulate water through said pump control system to preventfreezing.
 12. A pump control system for a swimming pool to selectivelycontrol the operation of a recirculating pump to prevent damage to therecirculating pump that could result from specific operating conditionsand to optimize energy consumption by varying the run time of saidrecirculating pump throughout the year as a function of the sun's energyimpacting the earth's surface as a measure of solar heat energy incidenton the pool water comprising a controller including a microcontroller tocalculate said pump run time for a geographically specific locationdependent upon the time of year or date based upon the solar heat energyadjusted for specific swimming pool site, and at least one of sensor tomonitor an operating condition coupled to said controller to deactivatesaid recirculating pump when the operating condition reaches apredetermined or set value.
 13. The pump control system of claim 12wherein said recirculating pump includes a pump motor coupled to theswimming pool by a pump inlet conduit and a debris filter coupledbetween said recirculating pump and the swimming pool by a pump outletconduit and a return conduit to filter and recirculate water to and fromthe swimming pool, said controller operatively coupled to said pumpmotor and to said sensor to selectively deactivate said pump motor whenthe operating condition reaches a predetermined or set value.
 14. Thepump control system of claim 13 wherein said controller comprises amicrocontroller including a processor, memory and timing means and aninput device coupled to said microcontroller to enable a user to enterdata such as time, date, location by area code or by latitude andlongitude with measured or calculated solar energy data and pump turn-ontime and an output device to display information to the user.
 15. Thepump control system of claim 14 wherein the initial operating run timeof said pump start-up is calculated for the specific pump rating and thehistorical air temperatures for times and dates to control the initialrun cycle of said pump.
 16. The pump control system of claim 15 whereinthe run cycle of said pump is adjusted for optimum water quality due tovariation tree cover, screen and other obstructions to solar heat energyimpinging the surface of the pool as a factor of the specific pumprating based upon observable water quality.
 17. The pump control systemof claim 14 wherein said pump motor is controlled to protect saidrecirculating pump from damage due to loss in water pressure, saidsensor comprising a liquid pressure sensor disposed between the outletof a debris filter and the swimming pool to sense the water pressurepassing through the debris filter and to generate a pressure signal fedto said microcontroller such that if the debris filter becomes dogged,the liquid pressure sensed in the return conduit by said liquid pressuresensor reaches a minimum predetermined value said microcontrollergenerates a fault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shutdown said pump.
 18. The pump control system of claim 17 furtherincluding a water sensor such that when water drawn from the swimmingpool through said return conduit reaches a minimum predetermined volumeor amount said liquid sensor causes said microcontroller to generate afault signal sent to said pump motor to deactivate or shut down saidpump.
 19. The pump control system of claim 18 further including a pumpload sensor to sense the stator position of said pump motor to measurethe stator crossing to indicate an absence of water circulating from theswimming pool such that said microcontroller generates a fault signalfed to said pump motor when stator crossing reaches a predeterminedvalue to deactivate or shut down said pump.
 20. The pump control systemof claim 19 further including a temperature sensor to sense the watertemperature between the swimming pool and said pump and generate asignal when the water reaches a predetermined minimum temperature fed tosaid microcontroller to generate an activate signal fed to said pumpmotor to circulate water through said pump control system to preventfreezing.
 21. The pump control system of claim 18 further includes apump load sensor to sense the current phase of said pump motor tomeasure the current phase angle to indicate an absence of watercirculating from the swimming pool such that said microcontrollergenerates a fault signal fed to said pump motor when current phase anglereaches a predetermined value to deactivate or shut down said pump. 22.The pump control system of claim 21 further including a temperaturesensor to sense the water temperature between the swimming pool and saidpump and generate a signal when the water reaches a predeterminedminimum temperature fed to said microcontroller to generate an activatesignal fed to said pump motor to circulate water through said pumpcontrol system to prevent freezing.